Coffee's rise of the machines

12 March, 2010

Page 47

Congratulations to John Gordon of coffee accessory supplier Gorilla Tampers in London, who was judged the UK's best barista at the recent UK Barista Championship, after impressing with his drink-making dexterity. But without wishing to put a damper on this tamper, Stop the Week has seen a glimpse of the future, and it's one in which this latte artist could be out of a job. Ukranian Oleksiy Pikalo has invented a printer that 'prints' logos or designs on to frothy coffee using a thin layer of caramel spray. He is reported as saying, "If you've got a picture of it, it's a safe bet we can print it". This cumbersome-looking gizmo is yet to make it into production, but it's only a matter of time before the machines take over. We've all seen the Terminator films. If further evidence were needed, someone has taught a desktop PC to automatically make a coffee.